“UNMC scientists have shown their power to acquire funding, publish in high-impact journals and establish worldwide reputations for excellence,” he said. “This new honor underscores their even more important ability to nurture the next generation of scientists. It’s the next step in the growth and maturation of the UNMC research program.”

Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate students, said he was delighted to hear that UNMC’s program ranked so high.

“This is a tribute to the hard work the university is doing to improve the postdoctoral experience and the leadership Dr. Ahmad has provided for the continued training and development of our postdoctoral scholars.”

UNMC has 120 postdocs from all over the world, the majority from India and China. They work with mentors in laboratories for two to five years.

Dr. Ahmad said that UNMC was the first institution in the United States to mandate a minimum salary level for postdocs and was among the few in nation to offer these benefits:

·A series of workshops on scientific and grant writing and public speaking; and

·Travel fellowships and awards to facilitate a comprehensive training and encouragement toward an independent career.

Gurudutt Pendyala, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology and a 2009 Postdoc of the Year, completed his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience.

“I am fortunate to work with some of the best minds in my area of research and fortunate that I am able to do translational research. I’ve seen some wonderful collaborations develop here,” he said.